Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum disc harrow question

So, I picked up a 28' international 490 folding disc up today on an online auction. My intentions are to remove the 2 batwings and pull the main frame portion. Yard guy at auction called me and told the the main part is about 14'wide. I pull with a 100hp 4wd John Deere that weighs in around 13,000 lbs. You think I'll have any problems pulling it with the wings on it? Or reckon I should go ahead and just remove them. I can always pull them up for tighter roads or gates if need be. 28' is a heck of a set of disc. Ground has a fair bit of clay in it. Currently I pull a 12' wide bushhog brand disc like it's nothing. What say you?

I’d probably try it before I started cutting it down, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up. 28’ is massive.

I have an old IH 500 that is 14' pulling with a 90 hp 4040 JD. I don't think you will be able to pull 28' with 100 hp. Even with duals, that's not enough power for that disc. The 4wd won't sub for that either. I personally think you would need at least 150 hp with duals. The IH 500 & as best as I can remember the 490 as well are both fairly heavy duty harrows & do require substantial hp for them.

Your 100hp tractor will pull an 18 footer real good so 14 foot will be light pulling. Id go ahead and take wings off now, if you leave wing on and set cylinder stops to keep it from cutting in over the axle and get into some wet ground and carrying wheels cut in youll be stuck.

I have my doubts about the 100hp pulling it. I’d think you’d need twice that horsepower or more for that disk.

We have an old Massy1155 140hp and I’d bet it wouldn’t pull it.

I’ve run a 100hp 4x4 Jd with a 14 ft disk and there are times you know it’s there.


There several if factors. 6 or 9 inch spacing on the disk. Weight of the disk and and angle of the blades. The you get into types of soils.

I think a 100 hp tractor will have a hard time pulling it, especially if you’ve got any kind of hills. I’m pulling a 22’ disc with a 160 hp tractor

A lot depends on the type of ground , the sandier the soil , easier to pull. However, a 100 horse, 13,000 lb, 4X4 tactor should pull that 14' disk no problem , with the wings removed .

I assume just hobbying and not farming? If not farming for a living, I wouldn't want to mess with anything over 10 ft or foot the bill for it.

Will add I have a 125 hp 4x4 pulling a 13ft disk on 7.5in pan centers and working in red clay she’ll roll some smoke. I wouldn’t pull it in less than ideal conditions.

Dang! How much does a 28' weigh?

I don't know that you will be able to effectively pull just the center section. You'll just have to try it. You've hit the big time now this disk is going to pull hard because it's going to cut like nothing you've probably ever used.

Keep EVERYTHING that comes off it when you pull the wings. If you sell it I'm going to need that stuff.

I have a 28' 496. It's a bit heavier but they are very comparable. These IH disks - best ever made IMO.

You will have to remove the wings to pull with your current tractor.

I’ve pulled a disc many times with the wings up to give extra weight in hard ground. No need to cut them off. If the disc centers are 7.5, the extra weight will help. Forgot what I said, just read goat’s post, he’s familiar with this disc.

Ours is 22’ international 470 I think. Our 140hp Massey doesn’t like it with the wings down and all the way in the ground. That Massey 1155 is known for power and used in tractor pulls all over. I’ve been wanting to take the wings off it so I can actually use it as designed. We’ve got a MX 240 coming is Gina leave the wings on it now.

Goatkiller nailed it.

I figured it would probably be way too heavy leaving the wings on. Ground is dead flat. Even still. I'll bet they'll be heavy as heck. Probably wouldn't have bought it, but you can buy the big stuff a lot of times, cheaper than the small, easy transport stuff. Besides, I'll have the wings for spare parts if ever need any. I don't farm for a living and probably only plant 15 acres or so a year. But, I'm a sucker for equipment. Thanks for the comments..

Keep the mfwd engaged and don’t pull it if the grounds too wet and you’ll be fine.